Otosan

Growing up and living in a rural part of Japan where most buildings are only 2-3 stories, my father-in-law rarely used an elevator. Now he uses one everyday. I should be celebrating… This man whose brain is befuddled with Alzheimer’s is successfully getting where he wants to go. Instead, everything in me wants to correct…

Over the last year my father-in-law, or Otosan as we call him, has adjusted well to his new home with us. He is a smart, do-it-yourself kind of guy. However, he is challenged by Alzheimer’s and sometimes things don’t connect in his brain in the same way they used to. There are some things that…

My 87 year old father-in-law, Masamoto, has been living with us for a year now. He was a rice farmer and logger since his early twenties and has lived most of his life far away from any big city. He has not complained since we brought him to Tokyo but I know he has struggled…

The first time my father-in-law misplaced his hearing aid was a trivial event compared with some of the curious events afterward. However, that mishap prepared me for future events and helped me have yoyu. Rather than approaching difficult situations filtered through my own fears, I learned to tap into a different kind of help. I…